Car-fender



3 Sheets-Shet 1'.v

(-No Model.)

. W. MQW'ATTS.

GAR FENDER Patentsd 13e-0,29, 1896.

(No Model.) 3- Sheets-Sheet 2 W. MWATTS.

Y GAR FENDER.

No. 574,081. Patented 1390.29, 1896.

Ifo?. 2. v

(No Model.)

' s sheetssheer W. M. WATTS. u

` GAR FENDER. l No. 574,081. Patentedne. 29,1896.

ping device shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

WILLIAM M. VATTS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,081, dated December29, 18.96.

` Application filed .Tune 6, 1896. Serial No. 594,515. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MEREDITH WATTS, of Philadelphia, inthe Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCar-Fenders and Trip-v ping Mechanism Therefor, whereof the following isa specication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My present improvements are particularly applicable toA fenders of thecharacter set forth in Letters Patent of the United States numbered551,802 and granted to me on December 24,1895. The said patent disclosesa fender device in'which is embodied a series of lazy-tongs leversforming an extensible barrier adapted to screen the space between thecar and the surface of the road. The said device also comprises a membertermed a basket, the said term being comprehensive of that portion ofthe device which is designed to receive a body struck by the fender.

It is the object of my present improvements to provide a car-fenderhaving a substantial distensible framework, to provide a 'basketconveniently adjustable to different heights above the surface of theroad, and, furthermore, to provide means whereby a normallyretainedcar-fender may be tripped into a position of greater efficiency by anoperator upon the car.

I have shown a convenient embodiment of my invention in theaccompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a carwith my fender shown thereon in the position it assumes when tripped.Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, thefender being shown in its normal position. Fig. 3 is a plan view of thesame, the lever-barrier being omitted. Fig. 4. is an enlarged sectionalview of the trip- Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the fender folded anddetached from the car. V I

In `the said figures, A is the car, and B the surface of the road.

C is the fender; D, the fender-supporting brackets upon the car A; and Eis the chain connecting the fenderV C with the tripping device F uponthe car. i i

The frame of the fender C is conveniently made in two parts, C' beingthe rectangular vertical member and C2 the horizontal member,hingedlyconnected to the member C upon the lowercross-bar c.' The saidconnection is made by the side arms c2 of the member C2, which terminatein Ts c3, mounted to rock Vupon the said cross-piece c.

The frame member C is supported in a vertical plane upon the car by thebrackets D,

`IXed thereon, the said brackets being provided with upper and lowersockets dand cZ,

respectively, adapted to receive the upper and lower cross-bars c and cof the member C. The shape of the said sockets (see Fig. 2) permits ofthe ready removal of the fender from the car. To prevent the accidentaldisplace ment of the fender from the said sockets, a keeper-bolt orkindred device maybe provided upon each bracket, as shown at cl3 in thesaid figure.

The barrier G, composed of lazy-tongs levers g, is pivotally secured tothe slide-bearings g, mounted upon the upper cross-bar c of the framemember C', to the similar bearings gg, and to the bearing gx, mountedupon the cross-bar c4 of the frame member C2. Lateral displacement ofthe said barrier is prevented by the fixed collars g3, which confine thebearing gX upon the cross-bar c4in a centrai position. The said barriermay, however, freely expand and contract in accordance with the angularrelation of the frame members C and C2, the bearings g and g2 beingmounted to slide upon the respective cross-bars o and c4 for thatpurpose. It will be seen that the said barrier completely screens thecar front when the frame members C' and C2 are distended, as shown inFig. 1, and may be compactly folded when not in` use, as shown in Fig.5. In like manner the said barrier G automatically adjusts itself to anyangular distention of the frame members C and C2.

The most effective operative position of the fender C is of course thatof Fig. 1. (Indi- ICO lindrical roller I, preferably of elasticmaterial, serves as a buffer for the front edge of the basket I-I and isfurther upheld by its end disk wheels t' t', which are of largerdiameter than the said roller. I find, however, that it is expedient tonormally retain the fender slightly above the surface of the road, asshown in full lines in Fig. 2, not only that the fender front may clearordinary obstructions upon the track, but that the car may pass freelyaround curves in the line of way.

The fender is very effective in its operation in the position lastmentioned, but I have provided means, as follows, whereby it may notonly be normally retained in the said position, but may also beinstantly tripped into its lowest position of contact with the surfaceof the road at the volition of the operator.

A chain E connects the cross-bar c4 of the frame member C2 with thenormally stationary rin g f of the tripping device F. The said ringdepends through a hanger f1 beneath the front edge of the car-platform.

The angular relation'of the frame members C and C2 may be convenientlyadjusted by means ofthe variable length of the said chain E, which isprovided with end hooks e, by which it may be engaged upon itself, asindi cated in Fig. 2. v

rIhe ring f is connected by a short chain f with one end of a lever f2.rIhe said lever f2 isloosely mounted for reciprocation in a housing f3and is provided upon its upper side with a detent-lug f1, adapted toengage a corresponding lug]v5 upon the housing f3.

The footplunger FX, extending through the platform and normally upheldby the springfx, serves as a convenient means by which an operator uponthe car-platform may dislodge the level` f2 from its normal position ofengagement, and thus permit the frame member C2, normally upheld by thechain E, ring j", chain f, and lever f2, to descend to its lowestposition, the weight of the fenderframe C2 and its connected parts beingsufficient to Overcome the tension of the spring f G. The spring f6,connecting the arm f7 of the lever]u2 to the housing f3, serves toautomatically return the said lever f2 to its normal position, (shown inFig. 4,) when the fenderframe C2 isrestored to its normal position, theproportion of the parts just described being such that the cross-bar f8of the housing f3 serves as a fulcrum for the said lever f2 in the saidreturn movement. The lever f2 is thus, by the tension of the said springf6, simultaneously drawn backward and tilted upward to engage its lug f'1 with the lug f5 of the housing f3.

As indicated in Fig. 4, the various parts may be so -disposed that theoperator may by a single tread occasion the operation of the trippingmechanism and the sounding of a gong J.

To secure the fender in the folded position, (shown in Fig. 5,) Iprovide upon the top cross-bar c of the vertical frame C two hooks C,one at each side thereof, in position to engage the projecting ends t"of the rollerspindle I. (See Fig. I.)

I do not desire to limit myself to the precise embodiment of myinvention herein set forth, as it is obvious that various changes may bemade therein without departing from the spirit of my invention. Forinstance, I have used the term chain in certain of the following claimsas comprehensive of any suitable connector between the fender and thetripping device.

I therefore claim- 1. In a car-fender, a depending barrier comprising aseries of lazy-tongs levers, a support for the upper edge of the saidbarrier adapted to be secured upon a car, a basket secured to the loweredge of the said barrier, and a rockframe for the said basket,substantially as set forth.

2. In acar-fender, an extensible depending barrier comprising a seriesof lazy-tongs levers, a support for the upper edge of the said barrieradapted to be secured upon a car, a basket secured to the lower edge ofthe said barrier, a rock-frame for the said basket, means t0 secure saidbarrier in a retracted position, and means upon the car whereby the saidbarrier and basket may be released from the said retracted position,substantially as set forth.

3. In a car-fender, a barrier comprising a series of normally-retractedlazy-ton gs levers, a support for the upper edge of the said bar rier, abasket supported upon the front of the said barrier, a rock-frame forthe said basket, and tripping mechanism whereby the said barrier may bealternately engaged and released, substantially as set forth.

4. In a car-fender, a depending barrier com'- prising a series oflazy-tongs levers, a support for the upper edge of the said barrieradapted to be secured upon a car, a basket secured to the lower edge 0fthe said barrier,a rock-frame for the said basket, and a roller mountedupon the said rock-frame, substantially as set forth.

5. In a carfender, a rectangular frame adapted to be vertically mountedupon a car, a rock-frame hingedly connected with said first frame, abarrier comprising a series 0f lazy-tongs levers, connected at its upperand lower edges respectively, with the first and second framesaforesaid, and means to secure said frames in a predetermined angularrelation, substantially as set forth.

6. In a car-fender, a rectangular frame adapted to be vertically mountedupon a car, a rock-frame hingedly connected with the said first frame, abarrier comprising a series of lazy-tongs levers, connected at'its upperand lower edges respectively, with the first and second framesaforesaid, and means to secure the said frames in a folded position,substann tially as set forth.

7. Ina car-fend er, a distensible frame comprising two members hingedlyconnected, a chain by which the said frame members may IOO IIO

be maintained in a predetermined angular relation, tripping mechanismwhereby an operator upon the car may release said chain, and means byWhich the said chain may be automatically reugaged upon the return of.

tripping mechanism whereby an operator upon the car may release saidchain, means by which the said chain may be automatically I 5 rengagedupon the return of the said frame members to the said predeterminedangular relation, and an alarm operatively connected with the saidtripping mechanism, substantially as set forth.

WM. M. WATTS. Witnesses: A. E. PAIGE, A. J. ZAHu.

